"Jeff Rigby" wrote in message
. ..

There is a contingent of loudmouth idiots who think anything which
impacts the economy is a bad thing, even if the impact is miniscule.
These neanderthals predict doom & gloom in much the same way as some
scientists. They put forth theories like this: If, in a perfect world,
coal burning power plants were given 2 years to make their smokestacks as
clean as is technologically possible, it would mean immediate financial
disaster for the stockholders, enormous job losses, the collapse of the
stock market, and the plunging of certain Midwestern states into abject
poverty.

Obviously, none of this is true.

No, take petroleum refining plants for example. No new ones have been
built in 20 years because of regulations. They are still in business but
WE pay extra for gas during peak seasons and they make money because of
the demand.

You understand that WE pay if the standards are too tight. Bush is
looking out for US not the fat cats. Unrealistic standards WILL cause
them to rethink the building of a new plant. That leads to local
governments not issuing permits for new industry or housing since the
infrastructure is not there to support it.

How about a compromise. We set a standard that is easily and cheaply
obtained and if we want tighter standards, the government pays for the
additional equipment these plants will need.



Three problems:

1) You haven't addressed this, so I'll ask again: Do you have a problem with
the list of Bush's energy "advisors" being a closely guarded secret? Without
this information, I will never trust the "easily and cheaply obtained"
standards which come out of the meetings. They can't POSSIBLY have been
determined in an impartial manner.

2) For reasons which cannot be justified, certain industries, products and
professions are elevated to special status in this country. The utilities
are one of these entities. Now, why should these industries NOT pay for
equipment upgrades like any other business?

3) With just a little bit of thought, we can both come up with a list of
companies which have faced far more disastrous problems than Ohio Edison
being forced to install state of the art equipment practically overnight.
This takes us back to #2: Why does OE deserve special treatment, when a
company like Philip Morris does not?